


when the fire burns out

by irineey



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Bill is clueless, Fluff, M/M, Richie's a lil shit but when isnt he, Still teenagers, Swearing, aftermath of them beating the shit out of pennywise, everyone is happy, implied Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, implied Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak, kids just being kids and having fun and everything is okay, truth or dare shenanigans, unrequited love...or maybe not?, very super brief mention of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-20 04:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20669072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irineey/pseuds/irineey
Summary: “Come on! Don’t be a fucking pussy Stanley,” he booed.Stan rolled his eyes. “I’m not doing a dare and that is final.”Richie waited a few seconds, as if he somehow expected Stan to change his mind in the short amount of time Richie had so graciously given to him. Realizing the boy wouldn’t break, Richie threw his hands up in defeat and sighed. “Fine, if you wanna play like a nine year old, then go ahead. Do you have acrushy wushyon anyone?”What Richie had intended as a dumb joke that might’ve gotten a signature glare from Stanley was replaced by the boy choking on his own spit, turning redder than Bev’s hair, and ending off with a not-so-confident “no."Suffice to say that a few eyebrows perked up at this, but no one’s more than Bill’s own did, a mixture of confusion and...another emotion he couldn’t quite identify pricking in the back of his head.





	when the fire burns out

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first fanfic that I'm posting here. I actually wrote this directly after the first movie came out in 2017, so this was before I had even seen the second movie lmao, so maybe there's some inaccurate information in there but whatever. I thought this was never going to see the light of day but after watching the new movie (twice) I revisited this and remembered just how much I love these two clueless boys so, here's this, I hope you enjoy!!
> 
> title is lyrics from the song twinkling lights by annalise emmerick, check it out!

\------

The sun had just set over the horizon, sheltering the small town of Derry. Though the town grew quiet, with lights fading out of draped windows as people headed off to bed, a small patch of grass on the outskirts of town near the railroad was being kept busy. A subdued fire crackled after each agitating touch of a stick and crickets chirped in the unknown shrubbery lying beyond. A group of kids all sat together in a circle, enjoying the cool breeze and the warmth from the fire heating their legs and fingertips.

The night really did start off simple, Bill had thought. Everyone was free, and it had been a while since they could all catch up with each other. After the incident with IT a few months ago, as often as they did try to be around one another, it seemed evident that some of them needed their space. Of course, here and there, certain friends would get together like usual; most commonly Richie and Eddie (because everyone swore those two were inseparable.) All have had their fair share of fun with at least one other group member in the arcade or at the quarry, but now they were finally all together again.

Bill sat quietly on a broken log, watching his friends genuinely smile and converse with one another, admiring how youthful the glow of the fire made them look. For a split second it felt like they were kids again. Before Georgie, before the sewers, before that godforsaken...

He shook his head. No reason to mull over it now. Bill promised himself that this was a night for him to direct his thoughts towards his friends and nothing else.

And his thoughts were certainly on his friends. A certain friend who hadn’t shown up yet.

Richie shook his head impatiently. “Where is he? I’m gonna kick his ass once he gets here. It’s been almost 3 hours,” he said, throwing a chunk of bark from his log violently into the fire. Bev rolled her eyes.

“No need to be so dramatic,” Ben shot at him, not too seriously since this was the most they could expect from Richie.

Eddie checked his wristwatch. “Besides, it’s only been twenty minutes.” 

Bill’s heart lurched in his chest hearing those words. Why _ was _Stan late?

Sure, Stan was usually a little late to their group hangouts, he was always like that. But it wasn’t like Stan to just...not show up at all. Unless...

Bill made sure to push the thought into the furthest crevice of his brain he could find. He couldn’t bear to even _ think _ of Stanley being all alone with...the horrors of what had happened to them earlier that summer. Countless nights Bill had beaten himself up over leaving Stanley in the sewers. Seeing him crying and screaming at all of them was enough to haunt him forever. 

But they defeated IT. There was no way it could be back. It was gone. Stanley is okay. He found himself repeating that in his head multiple times until his breathing went back to normal. 

“Hope he’s alright,” Mike said, glancing back to the entrance of the forest, his eyes faltering when there was nothing there, as if he half-expected their friend to magically show up once mentioned. 

Then there was a twitch in one of the bushes, a quiet rustling, and suddenly, into the light of the dim fire stood their friend wearing his usual attire, except this time with an unzipped sweater thrown haphazardly over his body. 

“Stanley!” came a collective cry from the group, and he gave them all a warm-hearted smile. Bill let out the largest exhale of relief that he could, all his worried thoughts flowing out with the air. His friend stepped carefully through the long blades of wild grass and flowers to the empty spot beside Bill around the fire. 

“Glad you could make it Uris,” Richie punched him in the shoulder, earning him his usual ‘Stanley Uris Glare’. Bill smiled at his friend, just thankful he was okay and had gotten here safely. 

That is until he noticed the scratches on his elbows, and the blood dripping from a gash on his cheek. Bill perked up, eyes widening as his hand, for some reason, found itself seeking the boy’s face, just barely touching the skin around the wound. “Are y-you hurt?” he said, his voice almost a whisper. The thought of his friend being hurt in any way sent a wave of displeasure coursing throughout his body. Of course, he didn’t like seeing _ any _ of his friends hurt, but for Stanley in particular it was just so... _ prominent _. 

Stan’s eyebrows raised at the sudden contact, and maybe Bill was imagining it, or maybe it was the light from the fire, but a blush spread across his face from ear to ear. “I...I’m fine,” he said, pushing some of his curls behind his ear, avoiding eye contact with Bill. “My bike broke. That’s why I’m late.”

“Shit, you _ walked _ all the way over here?” Bev asked.

Stan shrugged dismissively. “It’s fine, really.” Bill eased back into his seat when Stan flashed him a reassuring smile, one he didn’t think the others were meant to see. 

A few minutes had passed of them catching up with one another, telling stories of how their weekend had been, or what they were looking forward to, but the conversation had started to die down a little bit. Not wanting to let the campfire go completely silent, Ben spoke up.

“Who wants to play Truth or Dare?”

“What are we? Fourth graders?” scoffed Richie.

Eddie shook his head with that regular expression that seemed to be quite present on everyone’s faces after Richie opened his mouth. “Oh, don’t pretend like your dick doesn’t go hard every time someone gives you a dare.”

The two bickered (like they often did, noted Bill) before they had finally given up and the game commenced. Mike got to go first, daring Bev to give whoever she wanted a strong slap on the back. Without hesitation she walked over to Richie, rubbed her hands together, and whacked him so hard he was bound to have a hand-shaped scar on his back for the rest of his life. Richie groaned, obviously in pain, but congratulated his friend on how well executed it was.

Soon, everyone was accepting dares. Ben was dared to sing and dance the entirety of a New Kids on the Block song. Bill was dared to lick the bottom of someone’s shoe (he chose Eddie, obviously), and Richie had just got done stripping down to his underwear and running through the dark open field filled with god knows what.

He settled back down on the log, absentmindedly putting his light pink Hawaiian shirt back on as his eyes locked on target with Stan’s. A menacing smirk spread across his face. “Alright Bird Boy, I dare you to-”

“Who said anything about daring?” Stan asked matter-of-factly, crossing his arms.

Richie feigned a look of over-the-top displeasure, placing a hand over his chest like the words had done physical damage. “Come on! Don’t be a fucking pussy Stanley,” he booed.

Stan rolled his eyes. “I’m not doing a dare and that is final.”

Richie waited a few seconds, as if he somehow expected Stan to change his mind in the short amount of time Richie had so graciously given to him. Realizing the boy wouldn’t break, Richie threw his hands up in defeat and sighed. “Fine, if you wanna play like a nine year old, than go ahead. Do you have a _ crushy wushy _ on anyone?”

What Richie had intended as a dumb joke that might’ve gotten a signature glare from Stanley was replaced by the boy choking on his own spit, turning redder than Bev’s hair, and ending off with a not so confident “No.”

Suffice to say that a few eyebrows perked up at this, but no one’s more than Bill’s own did, a mixture of confusion and...another emotion he couldn’t quite identify pricking in the back of his head.

“Stanley...do you...?” started Mike.

“Ha! Stan the Man’s got a crush on someone!” Richie grinned cheekily, causing Stan to blush even harder.

“I DO NOT.”

Bev looked pointedly at Richie. “That’s a lot coming from y-” She was quickly cut off by Richie glaring her down, and what Bill assumed was a subconscious half-glance in Eddie’s direction. Bill was surprised that no one else had seemed to notice but him. He was sure there was something more to the story that he didn’t know.

Stan shook his head, finally regaining his composure. “Look, it’s nothing to worry about, okay?”

“Is it that Susie girl in your English class?” Ben asked innocently.

There it was again. That feeling. Bill couldn’t seem to control it, like when someone claims to be a bigger fan of your most favorite thing in the world. It was hot, it was selfish, it was…

Jealousy?

Bill found himself staring at his flustered friend, fully admiring him. His soft curls that bounced whenever he laughed, his dimples, how he practically glowed in the sunlight, and in the moonlight he radiated like a star that belonged with the others above him. Maybe Bill enjoyed Stan’s company a little too much, treasuring every touch and every conversation that they could have alone. Maybe Stan was one of the only things keeping him grounded after the loss of Georgie and the incident that summer. Maybe it didn’t fully hit him until now...that he just might be in love with his best friend.

“Alright, maybe I do have a crush on her? So what?”

Time stopped, and all Bill could do was stare. He felt the need to look down at his chest, to make sure there wasn’t an actual hole in the middle where his heart was, so violently ripped out by a wave of sudden realizations. He should have seen it coming, really. He wasn’t supposed to be having these feelings in the first place. And to think that Stan could ever like him back, well, Bill could only dream of it. He was his friend and that’s all he should be. That’s all he was ever _ going _ to be.

“Susie Wells, huh?” Bev pondered, a glint of...something in her eyes Bill couldn’t quite make out.

Stan fidgeted nervously in his spot. “Yes.”

“Well,” Bill had finally worked up the courage to speak, trying his hardest to swallow the cold lump in his throat, “she’s a lucky woman.”

Stan smiled. That sweet, genuine smile that had always made Bill’s heart skip a beat. Only this time it broke, knowing that a smile like that would one day be directed towards someone like Susie. But he wouldn’t allow his own feelings to get in the way of his friend’s happiness, so he smiled back.

The night continued along as normal. A few more dares were thrown their way. Ben successfully got Stanley to do a dare where he had to balance on his log with one foot, which made everyone tremendously happy, whether their reason for celebration being deserved or not didn't matter to them. When they had all gotten tired out, Eddie had pulled out the marshmallow’s he brought from his mom’s house, and soon enough it turned into a competition as to who could find the cleanest, longest stick. To no one’s surprise, Richie was quick to compare his with his dick. It was abruptly followed by him falling and snapping his stick in half, causing everyone to laugh and a sarcastic “that’s more like it” to come from Stanley.

After a few minutes of searching, they had all found their sticks. Eddie’s was sort of lopsided, which Richie had found was the perfect opportunity for playful teasing, only leading to an exasperated Eddie yelling at him to shut up. It didn’t take long for them to compare sticks, deciding who had the best out of them all. No doubt, Beverly’s was perfect by a long shot, with Stan coming in at a close second. Mike’s looked the sturdiest, Ben enjoyed the color of his, and Bill got one that would simply do the job.

They began roasting their marshmallows. Eddie wrinkled his nose in disgust when Richie stuck four of them on his stick and placed them over the middle of the fire, causing them to erupt into flames and burn in under a second.

Bill had to admire how calculated Stan was when he roasted his marshmallow. His face, pulled together in a concentrated grimace, shifting to find a perfect spot around the fire, however uncomfortable, to brown them. Bill, on the other hand, was having some difficulties.

“My stupid m-muh-marshmallow keeps m-melting off the stick,” he groaned, watching the remnants drip into the searing fire.

“Tough luck for you,” Richie said before plopping a completely burnt marshmallow into his mouth.

Stan carefully brought his stick back to his face, then delicately removed the marshmallow and handed it to Bill. “Here, have mine.”

Bill graciously accepted it, trying to ignore the heat rushing to his face when the corner of Stan’s lips twitched into a smile as he grabbed it. He took a bite, his eyes widening by how _ perfect _it was. “Stan,” Bill said, covering his mouth with his hand as he ate, “this is amazing.”

Stan looked at Bill with a soft glow in his eyes, before Richie interrupted. “Yeah, ‘cause he’s an overachiever.”

“If anyone’s an overachiever here I think it’s Mike,” Bev joked, pointing her thumb to where he was sitting, carefully constructing a s'more with graham crackers and chocolate he had brought himself.

Mike faked hurt. “Oh come on, who roasts marshmallows without making them into s'mores?”

Everyone laughed, sharing light-hearted smiles and giggles, finally feeling like kids again. It was liberating, even if for a little, that in the moment all seven of them together could forget all the shit that happened to them and enjoy the comfort of being in each other’s company.

The stars were shining bright in the sky. They began telling each other stories, mostly old funny memories as they ate their marshmallows. Ben recounted how he had stumbled across two people having sex in the library, right in the children’s section. Richie told the story of how a pigeon scared Eddie and caused him to trip and fall backwards into a puddle. As pay back, Eddie told the story of how Richie tried to learn how to use the skateboard, and in a blind attempt at showing off, fell head first into the cement and cried the whole afternoon.

Now it was Stanley’s turn to retell an embarrassing Richie story. One of his favorites. “If you think that’s funny, remember the time Richie tried to climb the tree at the playground but ended up splitting his pants instead?”

“Of course you had to bring that one up,” grumbled Richie, while Eddie died from laughter beside him.

Ben, through a series of stifled giggles, asked, “what happened next?”

“Right, so Richie was freaking out sitting behind this bush when he yelled at Bill and I to go find him some shorts,” Stan had to pause, laughing from the memory, “we had to go to the locker rooms. Do you remember?”

Stanley turned to look at him, and Bill was completely taken aback by how purely happy his friend looked. His eyes crinkled with genuine joy, and they sparkled like the sky above them. His cheeks were rosy from laughing, and Bill had never felt so alive and hyper aware of the feelings he had for his best friend. 

Bill forced away his blush, and nodded furiously. “Yeah, yeah I remember,” he said, letting a chuckle slip as he thought back to it. “We had to s-steal some poor boys shorts, just so n-no one had to know Richie was w-wearing dinosaur underwear.”

“Hey!” Richie shouted. “Totally uncalled for!”

Bill shrugged, eyeing his friend playfully. “J-just telling the truth, Tozier.” Richie tried his best to keep a straight face, but ended up smiling with the rest of his friends as they continued on with their stories.

After what felt like fifteen minutes to the kids, but closer to six hours, the fire dimmed down and the realization struck that they should all go home soon, to their dismay.

“It’s crazy but I'd rather be out here in the dark, surrounded by grass and dirt and bugs than have to go home,” Eddie said, reluctantly standing up.

“Aww, Eds is gonna miss us? Even me?” Richie cooed playfully, tiptoeing over to the shorter boy with perked lips.

“Shut the fuck up Richie,” Eddie said, pushing the dark-haired boy away, though the ghost of a smile was present on his face. 

Mike yawned, standing up with the food he brought in hand. “Yeah, it’s getting late, and I promised my pops I’d work with him on the farm tomorrow.”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah, my mom’s gonna flip if she doesn’t see me in bed by morning.”

They said their goodbyes, shared some hugs, and Mike and Eddie headed off to the entrance of the forest. Richie looked to be in the middle of an internal debate, and after noticing the '_oh, just do it you idiot' _look Bev was giving him, he made up his mind and ran after Eddie, shouting at him to wait up. 

Ben was next, saying he wouldn’t want to upset his parents. He hugged Beverly, the two sharing intimate smiles. He said goodbye to the boys, then waved at Bev, adding a “see you tomorrow” to her. 

Bev helped Bill put the fire out, and once the coals were subdued and the sticks had been broken down into ash, they headed out together, walking through the forest to where they had parked their bikes. 

“See you losers later,” Bev saluted to them with a smile, then grabbed her bike and rode off. 

It was just Stan and Bill now. Bill picked his bike up from the ground, staring at his friend expectantly. Stan stared back at him, puzzled. “Do you really expect me t-t-to just let you w-walk home?” Bill said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Stan glanced at the bike, and back at Bill, almost hesitantly. “It’s fine Bill, I don’t have to-”

“Please,” Bill found himself blurting out. 

Stan’s eyes widened, his face flushing at the sudden declaration. Bill froze. After his brain took a minute to process what he just said, he shuffled awkwardly in his spot, avoiding eye contact with his friend, knowing full well Stan was searching his face for a further reply. Bill then cleared his throat. “I’d h-hate to see you w-walking alone,” he added. “I don’t know what c-could happen. I was so worried wh-when y-you...” He trailed off, not really knowing how to end that sentence without going off the rails, spewing out all of his feelings right then and there in the middle of the darkened street.

Stan softened, a comforting look spreading across his features, and slowly but surely, he approached Silver. Bill hopped on, and still a little reluctantly, Stan followed, sitting right behind him. As they rode along, passing familiar streets and houses, Stan had made sure to keep his hands safely secured on Bill’s shoulders. They didn’t speak, just admired their surroundings in the stillness of the night, the streetlights being their only guide home. As they were riding, Bill hit a particularly bumpy hill, and it didn’t take long for Stanley to panic and cling to his friend's waist out of pure instinct. Stanley’s chin cradled on his shoulder, and the feeling of his chest pressing up against Bill's back was almost enough to send him crashing his bike in a state of sudden bliss. After every second they continued towards Stan’s house, Bill had expected the warmth to be gone, for his friend to slink back to the simple touch of the shoulder to keep him steady. But he didn’t.

They finally reached Stanley’s place, and as they pulled into the driveway, Stan awkwardly pulled away while Bill parked Silver to the side.

It was quiet. The kind of quiet that made it seem too loud. Bill had a million thoughts running through his head as he gazed at his friend, the light from the lamp post behind him illuminating his curls like a halo.

“Th-thanks for coming,” he ended up saying, cursing himself at how lackluster his farewell was. He knew what he wanted to say. So desperately did he want to cry out, to hold his friend, to wrap his arms around him and tell him all the thoughts that clouded and surrounded his mind. But Bill, the one known for being the most courageous of the group, willing to stand up to anyone or anything, couldn’t muster up the nerve to tell his own friend how he really felt. How ironic.

Stan smiled, a sort of tired smile that was betrayed in the eyes, but still with every meaning and sincerity directed towards the taller boy in the curve of his lips. “Of course, Bill.” 

He stood there for a little bit, almost as if he were expecting another reply. Instead, the two waited, staring at each other, one with a yearning heart and a desire to say more, _ so much more _. Stanley glanced once more at him, then turned around and headed towards his front door. Bill fidgeted, his fingers itched for some sort of resolution. He couldn’t stand it anymore. 

“W-w-wait, Stanley!” He sprinted, barricading himself between his friend and the steps leading to the front porch. Bill swallowed the lump in his throat, then started. “I just wanted t-to say that I had a lot of f-fun tonight with you...e-everyone, I mean. A-and it’s been a terrible summer b-but spending time with y-y-you makes it all worthwhile, and I j-just-”

Stan grabbed the sides of Bill’s face, and just like that, their lips were pressed together, a flurry of emotions welling inside both boys. Bill’s heart fluttered, and his feet felt light off the ground. He closed his eyes and pulled his friend in closer, cherishing the way Stan’s hands felt on his cheeks and grazing his hair. They parted after a couple seconds, and sure, it was a little sloppy, but the feeling of them being so close together, just them and nothing else, was better than anything they ever could’ve hoped for. 

Their foreheads were rested against each other, and Bill grinned, taking a step back so he could properly take it all in. Stan’s face was red, but his eyes reflected the same unconditional admiration that Bill had felt himself. 

“I...I can’t tell you how long I’ve been wanting to do that,” laughed Stanley.

“B-but what about Susie Wells?”

Stanley had to cover his mouth to stop himself from chortling out loud. “You really didn’t believe all of that, did you...? William Denbrough, the person I had a crush on was _ you _.”

Bill blinked, dumbfounded. He had been blinded by his own feelings for his friend that he didn’t even notice they were being reciprocated right back to him. Stanley chuckled, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. “It’s getting late, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he whispered. Bill turned back, watching his friend walk into his house, but not before waving a heartfelt goodbye. 

Bill couldn’t move for the longest time, and his hands made their way to his lips, touching them in awe. “Tomorrow...” he said to himself, smiling. He liked the sound of that.

\-----

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if there are any mistakes, the only editor here is me! hope this is okay for my first finished fanfic lol, leave a kudos and a comment if you'd like more, thanks! ^^


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